Magnetically supported heater assembly



Feb. 28, 1961 a. E. AMMERMAN ETAL 2,973,423

MAGNETICALLY SUPPORTED HEATER ASSEMBLY Filed May 7, 1959 INVENT OR.

DA V/D E. HALL ING- BY &. EDWARD AMMlRMA/l A f/oknry United StatesPatent MAGNETICALLY SUPPORTED HEATER ASSEMBLY Oakmont, and David ErrolGeorge Edward Ammerman,

to Edwin L. Wie- Walling, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors gand Company FiledMay 7, 1959, Ser. No. 811,640

3 Claims. (Cl. 21937) The present invention relates to electric heaterassemblies, more particularly to electric heater assemblies of the typefor use in the oven of a domestic range and the like, and the principalobject of the invention is to provide new and improved assemblies of thecharacter described.

Most domestic electric ranges are provided with an electric heatingelement, known as a broiler element,

which cooksfood positioned beneath it by means of radiation. Forpractical consideration, this element is usually positioned within andadjacent to the top wall of the range oven; however, it is to beunderstood that such an element may be otherwise located.

In the past, most broiler elements were of the plug-in type wherein aninterior oven wall, usually the rear Wall,

was. formed with an aperture in which a dielectric socket member wasmounted and to which the electrical power .leads were connected. Theelement was provided with from the prongs above-mentioned, each make ofrange and frequently different models of the same make require their ownpeculiar element construction.

Because of the great number of makes and models of electric ranges inpresent use, it is a practical impossibility to stock the diversity ofbroiler elements required by such ranges. Accordingly, a great needexists for a replacement broiler element which may readily be installedin practically any range regardless of its age, model, or manufacture.

While the co-pending application of G. Edward Ammerman, filed June 20,1957, Serial Number 666,881, entitled Electric Heaters and assigned tothe same assignee as the present case, solves many problems attendantwith providing a universal replacement broiler element, the constructionis less than completely satisfactory in so far as ease and rapidity ofinstallation is concerned.

The present invention provides a broiler element having all theadvantages of the one disclosed in the abovementioned co-pendingapplication and further has the advantage of being more quickly andeasily installed in the various makes and models of electric ranges.Other advantages will readily become apparent from a study of thefollowing description and from the drawing appended hereto.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and forming a part ofthis application there is shown, for purpose of illustration, anembodiment which the invention may assume, and in this drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the interior of an oven inwhich is installed a broiler element constructed in accordance with thepresent invention, and

Figure 2 is an enlarged, broken, fragmentary perspective view generallycorresponding to the line 22 of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, the heating element 10 of the present inventionis shown mounted within an oven enclosure having atop wall 11, a bottomwall 12, side walls 13 and a rear wall 14. Although not shown, asuitable door, normally closes the front of the oven. While the elementis herein shown mounted on wall 14 adjacent top wall 11, suchdisposition of the element is illustrative only and is not to beconsidered as a limitation.

The heating element herein disclosed is preferably of the well-knowntype wherein a conductor of relatively high electrical resistance andhaving end portions of relatively low electrical resistance is disposedin an elongated, tubular metallic sheath whereby the low resistanceportions extend from respective sheath ends and whereby the conductorportions are insulated from the interior wall of the sheath by suitableelectric-insulating, heat-conductive material. The element thusconstituted provides an intermediate heat generating portion 15 (thatportion adjacent the high resistance conductor portion), terminal endportions 16 (those portions adjacent respective low resistance elementportions), and terminal connector portions 17 (those low resistanceconductor portions which project from respective sheath ends) to whichthe electrical connections may be made.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the intermediate heat generating portion 15of element 10 is formed to provide a suitable heating pattern presentlyincluding a pair of legs 115, 215 extending from front to rear of theoven. The terminal end portions 16 of the element are disposed in sideby side spaced-apart relation and are connected together by means of atransversely extending sheet metal plate 18 which provides a flange fora purpose to appear. Plate 18 may be welded, crimped or otherwisefixedly secured to respective terminalend portions 16. As best seen inFigure 2, the element terminal portions 16 extend through and projectbeyond the plate 18 to dispose the terminal connector portions 17 of theelement on one side of the plate and to dispose the heat generatingportion 15 of the element on the other side of the plate.

With reference to Figure 2, the element is adapted to be secured to wall14 of the range with plate 18 overlying and covering the aperture 19from which the previously mentioned dielectric socket member was removedand discarded. It will be noted that the element terminal ends 16 extendthrough the aperture 19 to dispose the heat generating element portion15 on one side of wall 14 and within the oven enclosure and to disposethe element terminal connector portions 17 on the other side of the walland outside the oven enclosure.

The means provided for securing the portion of the element having theterminal ends 16 to the wall 14 need not be described in detail sincesuch construction is disclosed in the above-mentioned, co-pendingapplication. Briefly, however, such means comprises amember 20 which ispivoted to the plate 18 and which operates to clamp the plate againstthe wall 14 upon manipulation of a clamping screw 21.

The present invention is directed to the construction for supportingwithin the oven enclosure that portion of the heating element which isspaced from the terminal ends 16; accordingly, the following arrangementof parts is presently employed for this purpose.

Extending between and secured to the legs 115, 215 of the heatingelement are metal strips, or braces 22, 23, which function to addrigidity to the various legs of the heat generating element portion. Ifdesired, each strip may have a longitudinally extending flange 24 alongone or both edges (see Figure 2) to add rigidity thereto. Se-

cured to one of vtheside faces of brace 23 is an angular bracket 25. Ascrew and nut assembly 26 may conveniently'be employed to removablysecure the bracket to the brace, the screw passing through alignedapertures in the latter and the vertical leg of the bracket. If desired,this bracket leg may have a flange which overlies the brace and insuresthat the bracket will beheld against rotation about the axis of thescrew and nut assembly 26.

Secured to the bracket 25 by any suitable means is a suitable permanentmagnet 28 which magnetically attracts the magnetically permeable topwall 11 and thus supports the element therebeneath. At the present time,in order to provide for vertical adjustment of the magnet toward andaway from the top wall 11, an elongated screw 29 is anchored to themagnet and depends therefrom for threaded engagement with the horizontalleg of the bracket 25. A nut 30 locks screw 28 to the bracket to retainthe magnet in its adjusted position.

Installation of the broiler element herein disclosed is simplicityitself. The power leads behind Wall 14 will be pulled into the interiorof the oven through aperture 19 and connected to the element terminalconnector portions 17. The latter will then be projected throughaperture 19 and the adjoining end of the heating element secured inposition to Wall 14 with plate 18 overlying the aperture and with magnet28 abutting top Wall 11. Magnet 28 will then be adjusted vertically, ifnecessary, to insure that the heat generating portion 15 of the broilerelement at the front of the oven is spaced beneath top wall 11substantially the same amount as is such element portion at the rear ofthe oven.

It is to be understood that while in practically all constructions thetop wall 11 of the oven is magnetically permeable so that the magnetwill be attracted thereto, in the event an element of the present typeis to be installed in an oven or the like whose top wall is notmagnetically permeable, a small magnetically permeable plate or the likecould be secured to such top wall in position for engagement with themagnet.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat we have accomplished at least the principal object of our inventionand it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that theembodiment herein described may be variously changed and modified,without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the 4iinvention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specificallydescribed, hence it will be appreciated that the'herein'disclosedembodiment is illustrative only, and that our invention is not limitedthereto.

We claim:

1. An electric heater assembly for use with ovens and the like havinggenerally horizontal walls and an adjoining, apertured, generallyvertical wall whose aperture may be spaced varying distances fromrespective adjoining horizontal walls, comprising an electric resistanceheating element having a heat-generating portion adjacent to andunderlying said horizontal wall and a terminal portion extending throughthe vertical wall aperture for conducting electrical energy to saidheat-generating element portion, means supporting said element terminalportion in position within said vertical wall aperture for in turnsupporting an adjoining heat-generating element portion in positionadjacent said horizontal wall, a permanent magnet carried by aheat-generating portion of said element spaced from said elementterminal portion and adapted to grip said horizontal wall by magneticattraction to support such spaced, heat-generating element portion inposition therebeneath, and means for adjusting the vertical relationshipbetween said magnet and said element to vary the supported position ofsaid spaced, heat-generating element portion in accordance with thesupported position of said element terminal portion and its adjoining,heat-generating element portion.

2. The construction of claim 1 wherein said element is of the tubularsheathed type whose heat-generating portion provides a pair ofspaced-apart legs and wherein said magnet is disposed intermediate andsubstantially equidistant said element legs.

3. The construction of claim 2 wherein a brace member extends betweensaid element legs and wherein said magnet is adjustably secured to anintermediate portion of said brace member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,137,149 Tuttle Nov. 15, 1938 2,442,900 McCormick June 8, 19482,702,335 Cordis Feb. 15, 1955

